The present invention relates to a column fixed type machine tool in which column is fixed on a bed.
A column fixed type machine tool is disclosed in Japanese Provisional Publication No. 365529 of 1992. As shown therein, the column fixed type machine tool is defined by a column installed fixedly on a bed, a spindle head installed at the front of the column for movement in vertical and lateral directions, and a jig installed on the bed at the front of the column.
Generally, this kind of machine tool is provided with a single square cover wall for covering the whole bed positioned at the front of the column to prevent the dispersion of chips and coolant.
In the conventional column fixed type machine tool, the contained volume of the cover wall is so large that the chips and the coolant disperse in a wide area. Therefore, it is difficult to recover them smoothly and rapidly. Besides, the large cover wall prevents various operations, and the high cover wall obstructs the view.
An object of the invention is to provide a column fixed type machine tool that can solve the above-mentioned problems.
The present invention proposes a column fixed type machine tool in which a column is fixed on a bed, a spindle head is installed at the front of the column for movement in vertical, lateral and longitudinal directions through a first saddle and a second saddle, a jig device is fixed at a limited position of the bed at the front of the column, wherein a first cover plate allowing the spindle head to move in a longitudinal direction is fixed on the front surface of the second saddle, a second cover plate covering the front side, the upper side and the below side of the first cover plate so as to allow the spindle head to move in a lateral direction is fixed on the first saddle in a body, and a column side cover body covering the front surface of the column so as to allow the spindle head to move in vertical and lateral directions is provided at the front side of the second cover plate.
On the other hand, a jig side cover body covering the surrounding of a jig main body part is installed on a jig device. Besides, an intermediate cover body covering the upper and right and left side surfaces of the spindle head moving range is installed between the jig side cover body and the column side cover body. Moreover, the column side cover body, the jig side cover body and the intermediate cover body are formed independently from each other, and are detachable separately.
In this case, the spindle head may as well be installed on the front surface of the column movably in longitudinal direction. The column side cover body can allow the spindle head protruded forward therefrom to be moved in longitudinal direction. Here, instead of moving the spindle head in longitudinal direction, the jig device may be moved in longitudinal direction.
A cutting tool is installed at the tip of the spindle head. Moving in vertical and lateral directions with a spindle, or moving in a longitudinal direction relative to a workpiece, the cutting tool cuts the workpiece, which is clamped by the jig device. Though chips generated by the cutting disperse within the jig side cover body, they are prevented from dispersing to the outside of a specific space surrounded by the jig side cover body, the intermediate cover body and the column side cover body. The chips fall down on the upper surface of the bed.
The sizes of the jig side cover body, the intermediate cover body and the column side cover body are optimized, respectively. Specifically, the jig side cover body covers the jig device clamping the work so as not to make a useless space. The intermediate cover body covers the spindle head moving range in vertical and lateral directions and in a longitudinal direction relative to the workpiece clamped by the jig main body part so as not to make the useless space. The column side cover body is formed so that the chips dispersed from the cutting tool are prevented from dispersing to the backside of the front surface of the column.
The heights of the column side cover body, the intermediate cover body and the jig side cover body are different from each other. In this case, the column side cover plate is the highest, and the intermediate cover body is the lowest of all. Hence, an exhaust duct is installed on the upper surface of the lowest intermediate cover body. That is to say, as shown in claim 2, the column side cover body, the intermediate cover body and the jig side cover body are formed independently and detached separately.
Accordingly, each cover body is manufactured independently and assembled to the bed. Besides, each cover body is assembled and disassembled easily. Therefore, the maintenance or the inspection within a space surrounded by the cover bodies is performed conveniently.
Besides, a dropping hole for exhausting chips is provided in the bed part positioned below the intermediate cover body. Hence, the chips dispersed from the cutting tool are intercepted by the jig side cover body, the intermediate cover body and the column side cover body, thereafter reaching a specific place through the dropping hole by gravitation.
Moreover, a chip exhausting device is provided below the dropping hole. In this case, the chips dropped therefrom land on a carrier surface of the chip exhausting device and are taken out to a specific place without a person""s help.